Primal Calling by Jillian Burns Page A

“Can someone please tell me what’s going on?”
    They both turned their attention to her, Evelyn grinning, Max glowering.
    â€œMy grandmother says you are the Searching One. The one whom her spirit guides foretold.”
    The old shaman nodded and laughed. It was more of a cackle, really, like one of Macbeth’s witches stirring toil and trouble.
    And Serena still had no idea what they were talking about.
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    M AX SHOVED his shaking hands in his pockets and stepped back to lean against the counter. He wasn’t sure his knees would have held much longer. The Searching One. Serena? No way.
    But his grandmother was not usually wrong.
    Still, there had to be some mistake.
    â€œWhat does that mean?” Serena switched her inquiring gaze from him to his grandmother, and back to him. “Is it because I search for the truth?”
    â€œHa.” Max bit off a mocking laugh. “You wouldn’t know the truth if—”
    â€œMax!” his grandmother admonished him.
    â€œI’m sorry, Aanaga, but you have to be mistaken. And you,” he said as he glared at Serena, “need to leave.”
    â€œNo,” his grandmother protested. “She is my guest.”
    â€œHe’s right, Evelyn.” Yanking her purse off the back of the chair, Serena slung it over her shoulder and bustled toward the front door. When she got to the entryway, she spun back and held her hand out to his grandmother. “Thank you for inviting me.”
    But his grandmother shook her head. “You have no way home except for Max. And I need him to fix mychimney before he leaves. You will stay for lunch. Max, too.”
    Max bit back a groan and clenched his fists. Now he had to give the meddling busybody a ride? True, he hadn’t seen Serena’s rental out front. How had she gotten here? Whoever drove her was going to hear about it. Probably Chris. The kid was barely legal to drink and he’d tried to give Max advice on women before.
    â€œI don’t want to be any trouble.” Serena hesitated by the door, staring at him.
    Max scoffed. “Lady, you’ve been trouble since the moment I laid eyes on you.”
    Her lips tightened and she raised her arrogant little chin.
    â€œBe ready to leave in half an hour.” He wouldn’t disrespect his grandmother by refusing her guest a ride home. But that didn’t mean he had to join them for lunch. “In the meantime, I’ll be on the roof.” He strode to the front door and then turned back. “Come on, Mick. You can keep me company.”
    Mickey raised his head and thumped his tail, but he stayed by Serena’s side.
    â€œMick. Let’s go.”
    The malamute whined, but he still didn’t move.
    â€œFine. Stay there.” He slammed out the front door.
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    M AX SANK ankle deep into the snow on the roof. That woman had some nerve being here.
    Of course, he’d been the one to seek her out this morning. What a mistake that had been. What had hebeen thinking, pushing his way into her hotel room with a bed not three feet away? Not that they’d needed a bed. Damn, all he had to do was get near her and he wanted her.
    Nah, that wasn’t true. He wanted her even when he wasn’t near her. Even when he was frustrated with her he wanted to strip her and take her.
    The chimney pipe was fine, but once the snow melted he’d probably need to replace some shingles on the roof. He made a note to bring his hammer, some nails and a few new shingles next time he came. His stomach growled and his nose was frozen. Still, he wouldn’t give that woman the—damn. Realizing his tactical error, he climbed down the ladder, brushed the ice off his parka and hurried into the cabin. He shouldn’t have left her alone with his grandmother. No telling what she would reveal to Serena.
    At the entry to the kitchen, he slowed, hearing his grandmother tell an old Iñupiat story—the one she used to tell